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What do you think about getting older?


Illusion of Terra

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Kind of a strange topic but what do you guys think about getting older? I think the users here span quite an age range so it would be interesting to see what you guys think.

I didn't really care when I was younger, but the older I'm getting the more I don't like getting older. Can't really find a thing that is getting better when becoming older, in my case.

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Growing older used to hold a lot more significance than it does now. I always had this incomprehensible idea of what makes an adult, so it took a while to realize that growing older doesn't really result in some profound transformation I've grown up believing in. I've become a different person than I was, but of course not in the way I would've anticipated. 

On the bright side getting older comes with more exp which would hopefully give one more patience and goodwill.

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Getting old sucks.  Next question?  :D

Seriously though, it isn't too bad.  I'm 54, still working, and still reasonably healthy.  I made some good choices when I was younger and I didn't let them go to my head so personally I'm doing ok at the moment.  Physically getting older has its annoyances, but I've also gained quite a few skills along the way too.  I'd like to think I've gained a bit of wisdom along the way as well.  (No guarantees.)

But then there's politics.  OMG.  😱 

My main problem with getting older is probably the worsening political outlook going forward.  Our so-called "leadership" here in the US has totally failed at their job of managing things.  In fact, they're now a big enabler in making things worse.  What's the point of all that cool technology and stuff if not everyone can share in the benefits of it?  The younger kids at work already seem to not have nearly the opportunity that I had when I was their age.  If I had to start over and raise a family I don't know how I'd do it. 

It isn't getting any better either.  There is no middle-ground.  Loyal opposition?  What's that?  If you're not with us you're a traitor.  Moderates have left the building, leaving the motivated extremists to deliver on "choices" like Trump vs Hillary.

Doesn't really matter anyway though.  The banksters are in control.  They get to mark-to-model their assets while everyone else has to use fair market value.  Then they get to loan out - and collect interest on - 10x even that fantasy number!  I want a business that collects real money on fake assets!  And still they can't stay out of trouble.  "That's a nice economy you have there.. it'd be a shame if something were to happen to it."  So $800Billion - no strings - to bail out the banks, but we can't afford fix the roads or to feed and clothe poor kids, and teachers have to buy their students paper and pencils out of their own miniscule paychecks.  Inflation -always- goes up, as do taxes, as does government spending.

Spending on what??  Instead of investing in things like science & health research, education, or infrastructure our "leadership" is denying science, cutting research and education budgets, disabling consumer protections against corporate predation, and diverting money into their own pockets.  To get the votes "our" politicians have way, way, over-promised on what we, the taxpayers, can deliver, but they're not doing anything to mitigate that.

This year alone we went another $Trillion in debt.  We're now over $22T.  There's only ~330M people in the country!  $22T divided by 330M is $67k of debt that every US citizen, man woman, or child, is now saddled with.  (But don't worry, if you can't pay then they'll automatically pass that debt along to your kids when you die.)  It is even worse when you consider that there's really only 138M taxpayers and the "leadership" isn't even considering cutting spending.  In fact, later this year they're going to have to raise the debt ceiling.  Again.  So much money has already been (over)spent.  Taxes are going to have to go up and/or what has been promised is going to have to be reneged on.  That's going to make it even harder on everyone and really upset a lot of people who were foolish enough to believe the government's promises and incorporate them into their own future plans.  Worst case I might even wind up having to dodge bullets in my "golden" years.  It would have been nice to retire and have some fun, but it looks like that's not going to be an option.  Me and everyone else are probably going to have to work until we drop.  

 

That said, and in an attempt to brighten the tone a bit, there's honestly a lot to look forward to as well.  Like I said above, technology is awesome.  And getting better.  I remember life before the 'Net and the 8086 CPU.  They may still need work, but google, wikipedia, "the cloud", etc. are Very Good Things compared to what we had (or didn't have) back then.  AMD and Intel aren't done yet either.  New cars and trucks are electric, pollution free, and can drive themselves.  I remember when I was in grade school not being able to breathe in the city because of smog from all the cars and trucks.  We're 100x better now, even before including electric cars.  We're -><- this close to a cure for cancer.  3D-printed rockets take stuff to orbit cheaply then come back and land, ready to be refueled and reflown, as god and Heinlein intended.  Martian and Lunar colonies are being seriously looked at by $billionaires looking to make money, and that will give us access to literally unlimited resources and new frontiers.  Coal is dying.  Not even Trump could revive it.  Solar power is a very real thing.  I have panels on my own roof in fact.  They charge my electric car.  Good bye Exxon and BP.  We'll need more power than things like solar and wind can provide for industry of course, but cheap nuclear is out there, pollution- and carbon-free, and ready to make a comeback when/if we get our heads sorted out.  (I'm talking about something sane like fusion or molten-salt fission breeders of course, not more water-cooled boiler bombs like TMI, Chernobyl, or Fukushima.)  If we could just fix our politics then getting older wouldn't be that big a deal.

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Not to much that can be done about it. Though I have to say I like it being wise, and considered to be the smart one in my friends group so I suppose there is that.

I am very fit compared to people in my age group far as I know so I do not feel old. Sometimes my love of retro gaming, and retro cartoons makes me feel old though sometimes.

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I think it's shocking once it starts. The physical changes.

Lately I've been getting more white hairs. At least no balding yet. (I hope haha).  No decline yet in strength or speed and so on. But I've never felt strong or fast anyways so I can't tell.

You go through like a stage of denial first. You dye your hair black for example, you use anti age creams (maybe for women only). 

Basically you try to convince yourself that you're still young. Then it sets in and you just adapt to it. You work with what you've got. 

And on the bright side, you trade in youth for wisdom. You were young and dumb now you're old and wise.

I guess just age gracefully by adapting.

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Funny thing, I didn't really think much about growing up before my EMT-Service.

Here in Austria, we have to do either 6 months of military service or 9 months of civil service in an institution that would take us. Since I'd lose an entire year anyway (6 months is just enough to not be able to enroll in university during summer....) I decided to take the 9 months of civil service at the Red Cross and learn something useful - which meant, among other more stressful and ... let's say gruesome... things, transporting sick and old people from their houses or nursing home to the doctor or hospital when they needed something. 

And that really made me think about getting old... Like, the mental and physical problems many people have (especially the mental problems due to loneliness, or simply the fact that they are no longer able to do things they once could do... Imaging being a man who grew up with the idea that they absolutely have to provide for their family, that they are what the family relies on then getting so old that you can't get out of bed without a nurse's help) is just staggering. And many of these things can happen to anyone. You worked hard because you grew up on a farm, worked on a constructions side or as a carped layer? Your knees are going to be a mess fairly early on. You worked in an office? Welp, screw you back then. You stumble because of leg problems and try to hold on something. Broke arm! (Granted, this can happen to anyone, but old people are just more prone to this.) But in most cases the body doesn't work like it used to anyway or hurts frequently...

Makes you wonder if you really want to get 90+ years where you forget most things, probably can't move at all and have to spend your days in bed, hardly conscious...

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@efaardvark It's really great to see that you are still doing well. With the way things are going, I hope to have at least one or two things figured out when I'm 54. I do share your fascination or positive outlook when it comes to technology, as I still remember a time without me using a PC or the internet. It enabled a lot of great things even in everyday life of ordinary people such as being able to talk to people who are far away for virtually nothing. As people who had to leave their country this was a great help compared to the horrible phone lines which were extremely expensive just to call some of your relatives. Politics on the other hand are becoming quite worrisome, not only in the US but also here in Europe.

@leinwandname Your description sounds like the old German children's books 😂 But seriously though, I have seen and I know people, mostly relatives, who are more or less bed-ridden. And it really sucks. But if you have family and friends (and unfortunately that is a really big if), as long as you are mentally fit and people spend time with you, you can still have a great time (at least in the village I grew up in). These are people who don't use the internet etc.
However, if your mental capabilities begin to wither, that's a different story. I do find it quite sad when seeing how people change because of that, and sometimes realize it itself. I have been working on memory disorders for quite some time, and I literally cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like. In a bizarre way it makes you grateful for what you still have.

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7 hours ago, Illusion of Terra said:

...I still remember a time without me using a PC or the internet. It enabled a lot of great things even in everyday life of ordinary people such as being able to talk to people who are far away for virtually nothing. As people who had to leave their country this was a great help compared to the horrible phone lines which were extremely expensive just to call some of your relatives.

I view the current era as a transition period.  If there's any sanity left in the world, eventually we'll all just have a "data" service to go along with our other utilities like electricity or water.  "TV" and "phone" are just particular types of data anyway.  I have already given up on "phones".  I talk to my brother in Wisconsin long distance using discord.  I don't watch "TV" anymore either.  Everything is streamed or downloaded.  Just give me a fat pipe to the 'Net and be done with it.  :)

 

7 hours ago, Illusion of Terra said:

Politics on the other hand are becoming quite worrisome, not only in the US but also here in Europe.

That's for sure.  For example, I was just reading about your (the EU's) proposed new copyright directive, aka Article 13.  What kind of leadership even allows that sort of thing to be proposed??  Where's the push-back for public good against the corporate greed?  Have ALL the politicians been bought?

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6 minutes ago, efaardvark said:

That's for sure.  For example, I was just reading about your (the EU's) proposed new copyright directive, aka Article 13.  What kind of leadership even allows that sort of thing to be proposed??  Where's the push-back for public good against the corporate greed?  Have ALL the politicians been bought?

Don't get me started on the stupid new Internet regulations. The GDPR was already a huge pain for everyone involved. There are quite a few people who, understandably, are pushing against Article 13. The thing is that, similar to the GDPR, no one is really sure what the new laws actually mean. If taken in its worst form, things like Youtube or Twitch would have to virtually be shut down in the EU. I suppose it will boil down to some kind of restriction but not in its worst form.

What I do notice is that the internet is being regulated quite a lot more. Nowadays it is quite difficult to get an anonymous email without providing a phone number, i.e. without linking your actual name etc to it. The Wild West Internet as it was in the beginning is getting regulated more and more, which in some cases makes sense, but in a lot of them it doesn't.

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6 minutes ago, Illusion of Terra said:

I suppose it will boil down to some kind of restriction but not in its worst form.

Be careful, that's what we said over here about the DMCA legislation too.  Next thing we know we don't even own our tractors anymore.

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Right now, I do not mind getting older, as I still have my youth and it’s advantage.

However, I do not think that it would be very pleasant in a few decades, as my mobility and capability for being independent will get worse, as I get closer to death.

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Hmm, getting older doesn't really bother me, I mean yea I don't want to die but say in 30-50 years I die Id be like "yea that's cool" because I live the way I want to with as few regrets as possible and doing everything I can to enjoy myself.

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On 2/15/2019 at 12:43 AM, brycec said:

Right now, I do not mind getting older, as I still have my youth and it’s advantage.

However, I do not think that it would be very pleasant in a few decades, as my mobility and capability for being independent will get worse, as I get closer to death.

You can always try working out like 30 mins a day for like 3, or 4 days to try, and hold this off. Though I do know thats easier said then done.

4 hours ago, Greeneyes said:

Hmm, getting older doesn't really bother me, I mean yea I don't want to die but say in 30-50 years I die Id be like "yea that's cool" because I live the way I want to with as few regrets as possible and doing everything I can to enjoy myself.

Its justt the natural order of things right. :) 

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1 hour ago, ArchieKun said:

You can always try working out like 30 mins a day for like 3, or 4 days to try, and hold this off. Though I do know thats easier said then done.

Definitely easier said than done.  Even if you're physically able, schedules leave no time.  Part of my problem is I'm not a big fan of the 30 minutes at the gym thing.  Sooo boring!  I do love to walk/hike however.  (I even did the Deuk -> Mt. Lukens loop hike a few years ago, which is supposed to be one of the harder ones in the area.)  I'd like to keep it up for as long as possible, but finding time is a challenge.

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1 hour ago, efaardvark said:

Definitely easier said than done.  Even if you're physically able, schedules leave no time.  Part of my problem is I'm not a big fan of the 30 minutes at the gym thing.  Sooo boring!  I do love to walk/hike however.  (I even did the Deuk -> Mt. Lukens loop hike a few years ago, which is supposed to be one of the harder ones in the area.)  I'd like to keep it up for as long as possible, but finding time is a challenge.

I walk for at least an hour daily at least most of the year, or I am cleaning, or something. I do admit for a little while I have been slacking due to weather, and little depression, but I am coming out of that.

Though for people that has health condtions where they are already physically weekend its very important.

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Frankly it's terrifying for me. I have a lot of hereditary medical issues which only get worse with age. The idea of being unable to feed myself let alone use a phone or computer is nightmare fuel for me. 

At least I have a niece who I guess you could say looks up to me so she will probably not let me get thrown into a home straight away~

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8 hours ago, SanguineTear said:

At least I have a niece who I guess you could say looks up to me so she will probably not let me get thrown into a home straight away~

I've never been to a retirement home. Are they really as bad as people say? I mean it really is great if people have others who can look after them, but seeing that many do not, I think society should care quite a lot about improving retirement homes.

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4 minutes ago, Illusion of Terra said:

I've never been to a retirement home. Are they really as bad as people say? I mean it really is great if people have others who can look after them, but seeing that many do not, I think society should care quite a lot about improving retirement homes.

Not all retirement homes are bad of course, but there are a fair number that are negligent and even abusive. If someone were just sort of dropped off, and not checked on, the remainder of their life could be miserable.

It could also just be a deception and retirement homes are the best thing ever, but old people want all the fun to themselves~

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1 hour ago, Illusion of Terra said:

I've never been to a retirement home. Are they really as bad as people say? I mean it really is great if people have others who can look after them, but seeing that many do not, I think society should care quite a lot about improving retirement homes.

 

1 hour ago, SanguineTear said:

Not all retirement homes are bad of course, but there are a fair number that are negligent and even abusive. If someone were just sort of dropped off, and not checked on, the remainder of their life could be miserable.

It could also just be a deception and retirement homes are the best thing ever, but old people want all the fun to themselves~

There are different types of homes actually woth different levels of care. There are retirement communities which provide independent living for residents with some minor caretaker activities (usually weekly checkups by staff in case of falls or merely meal delivery). Then there are more Assisted Living options which still give some independence with greater caretaking needs (might have staff present to help with more activities of daily living). Then there are rest homes where people who may need even greater care reside (typically these individuals have all their medical needs taken care of by the home including medications, doctor visits, and so forth. They may be mobile but they are living in the facility). Then there are skilled nursing facilities, which generally take care of individuals who have a great need of medical care, often almost hospital like for around the clock care.

 

Working in Long Term Care I can confirm that it varies from home to home what quality you will get. Some are roach motels with the admin and nursing staff smoking weed in the breakrooms and patients living in their filth without even baths.  Others are very clean with excellent, attentive and caring staff. 

 

Do your research and visit the place before you pick one. Many times, the basic nursing assistant staff are not high school graduates and make mistakes in administration of medication (or they view the patients meds as everyone's meds so Mr Smith who paid for his blood pressure meds might be short at the end of the month because they gave his meds to Ms Mae down the hall whose doctor never wrote her an order to refill hers and now they are both out of meds even though he had an order and paid for his). It is not perfect but most families cannot give the level of care and supervision the patients in most of these homes require. 

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11 minutes ago, Beocat said:

Do your research and visit the place before you pick one.

I guess many people do not really think about retirement homes until it might be too late to really contrast different homes. But yeah if you or someone else has the capabilities, having a close look at the place sounds like a very advisable idea.

It's really quite interesting to hear from people who have worked in that environment, because it is a big part of modern society but I do not really have had anything to do with it so far. So what made you decide to work there?

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5 hours ago, Beocat said:

I do not work in the homes thankfully, but I provide services for them. My specialty is geriatrics so... yeah, I get the full view regardless of whether I am physically present or not. 

I have never worked in the med industry, or care industry. I do have a great deal of respect for those that do, and can hold up to its pressures.

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